Software Engineer-II Interview Experience - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Process
The interview took place during COVID-19 quarantine.
The first stage was a conversational interview via video chat on Microsoft Teams with the hiring manager and another engineer.
The second stage was a coding challenge. A product specification was given, and the candidate was tasked with building a frontend interface to match it.
The challenge task was simple and straightforward. I felt very confident in my submission but did not receive an offer, nor clear feedback as to what was lacking.
I would have appreciated a direct follow-up with the hiring manager after reviewing the code challenge, instead of relaying vague feedback via a remote HR recruiter.
Questions
How do you keep your engineering skills sharp and learn new technologies outside of your work environment?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Microsoft Software Engineer-II role in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Engineer-II roles in Minneapolis, Minnesota is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for Microsoft's Software Engineer-II interview process in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 5.0Great company to work forSoftware Engineer-II • Former EmployeeReston, Virginia, United StatesNovember 12, 2025Pros: I enjoyed all the benefits I had working at Microsoft. I worked with really smart people, but the work was not too demanding. I would definitely go back if I had the chance.Cons: I don't think I got to learn all that much, since it was hard to switch teams while I was there.
- 2.0Novel Work, Toxic CultureSoftware Engineer-II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesNovember 4, 2025Pros: Name recognition, Good coworkers, Novel problems to solveCons: Culture is continually getting worse: * Recurring layoffs * Return of stack ranking * Losing our best engineers to better-paying jobs because Microsoft has failed to keep the deal (Lower Pay == Work-Life Balance)
- 4.0Good Balance, Ai FiringsSoftware Engineer-II • Current EmployeePrague, Bohemia, Czech RepublicSeptember 4, 2025Pros: Good work-life balance. Fairness in career growth.Cons: They use AI as a reason to fire people.
Microsoft Interview Questions
